Recent progress in the fields of angiogenesis, vascular gene transfer, cardiovascular diseases, cancer biology, and developmental biology emphasizes the critical role the vasculature plays in normal and pathological processes. Definition of the molecular machines that mediate vascular cell assembly, remodeling, and regression promises to inform therapies for solid tumors, tissue ischemia, and ultimately to empower targeting of specific therapies to critical sites of disease in glomerulopathies. As the first avenue of access through the vascular compartment, the endothelium is a highly specialized interface accessible to targeting with vascular bed specific drugs, recombinant molecules, viral vectors and therapeutic agents designed to alter pathological processes and consequences. Recent progress at the interface between developmental biology, tissue models for vascularization, molecular target identification and vascular gene transfer offer a platform of discovery, validation and application to define new therapies. The overall goal of the conference is to bring outstanding leaders in the area into contact with promising young investigators and trainees, to evaluate the recent progress in the field and to project future directions that may impact favorably on research efforts applied to the kidney, kidney diseases and treatment of end stage conditions that afflict renal patients. To facilitate these efforts to recruit, support and develop new researchers in this rapidly growing field, the conference will offer travel grants to young investigators and trainees who are judged appropriate based on their submission of abstracts for the conference. Special consideration will be given to women, racial/ethnic minority individuals, those with disabilities, and others underrepresented. A poster session will he held in which awardees present their work for review and discussion with the leaders in this field. The planning committee for the conference will select awardees, and the applicant organization will administer award of the travel grants. The conference will be publicized in major scientific journals (both general interest and renal community focused), on the internet, and announcements will be mailed to members of the American Society of Nephrology, the sponsoring organization.